10 Meals For Under $10

In my ongoing quest to eat meals with good nutrition at a reasonable cost, I have experimented with cooking in bulk and freezing the results as individual meal portions.  The recipe/process I'll detail below yields me 10 meals at (or under) $10.  I'll store most of the meal portions in the freezer with around 3 of them in the fridge.  When I'm ready to eat, I pull one meal out of the fridge and transfer one of the others stored in the freezer down to the fridge so that I always have a supply there ready to heat up.  When I'm left with only 2 meals in the fridge - it's time to go shopping to set up the meal rotation again!

This whole procedure only takes me an hour - from pre-heating the oven to storing the meals and cleaning the pans.

The equipment you'll need to follow this plan is as follows: An oven, a stove top, a large baking tray (with a lip around the edge) that fits in the oven, a large stove top steamer, and a utensil you can use to stir what's in the steamer - I use a large serving spoon.  An oven mitt or thick pot holder.  Finally, you'll need 10 plasticware sealable containers to store the meals in individual portions. (see image below)  Having a timer (even your smartphone) helps.

Also, it will be best to arrange for room in your freezer for seven of your plastic containers - not stacked, so the portions freeze more quickly.

Here are the groceries to buy:

1 pack of 10 chicken thighs (or 20 drumsticks) - around $5.50
1 large 64 oz bag of broccoli florets - around $2.50
1 large 80 oz bag of mixed vegetables - around $2.50
Note: the large bags of veggies will last for several rounds of this recipe, so the cost is lower per run.

Optional:
Several varieties of sprinkle-on spices (for the chicken)
1 large can of Old Bay seasoning (for the veggies)




Procedure

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
• Place all of the chicken, skin up, on the baking tray.  (Optional: sprinkle bottled spice mix on each chicken piece)  Put the chicken into the oven and set a timer for 30 minutes
• When the timer goes off, leave the oven alone.  Put an inch of water in the bottom pan of the steamer and set it on a stove burner that you crank to "High".  Place the top basket of the steamer into the bottom part on the stove.
• Set a timer for 15 minutes.  Fill the steamer basket, half-way with frozen broccoli florets, half-way with frozen mixed vegetables.  (Optional: sprinkle Old Bay seasoning over the frozen veggies, but do not stir)  Cover the steamer.  Turn the burner down to Medium once it begins steaming vigorously.
• When the timer goes off the second time, turn the oven off with the chicken still inside.  Turn off the stove burner.  Lift the lid of the steamer and press down on the veggies so they expel extra water down - out of the upper basket into the bottom part. Stir the veggies well.
• Take the baking tray with the chicken out of the oven and set it on a level surface.  If the drippings from the chicken have burned onto the bottom of the tray, your oven temperature was too high.  Try a lower setting (by 25 degrees) next time.  Use your utensil to gently push each piece of chicken so it un-sticks from the bottom of the cooking tray.
•  Set out your 10 plasticware containers and put one baked chicken thigh in each.  If you cooked drumsticks, place two in each.  Pour some of the drippings form the baking tray into each container.
• Spoon portions of the steamed veggies into each container.  Let them sit out, uncovered for 10 - 15 minutes so they cool somewhat closer to room temperature.
• Cover each of the containers.  Put seven of the 10 into the freezer - not stacked at first, so they freeze more quickly.  Put the remaining three containers into the fridge.

If you're in a rush, you can just eat a portion cold - like leftovers.  To heat one, however, I've found it best to pop it in a microwave for 2 mins 30 secs on 70 percent power.  One minute at 100% works a little less well.  Be sure to open the lid on the container before you microwave it.!